The History Of The Refrigerator

Before refrigerators were produced, people were forced to cool their food with ice, snow,  or nearby rivers and springs. Most people also had to can, salt, and pickle their food to preserve  their meals. During these times, inventors were working towards the creation of the refrigerator.In 1758, Benjamin Franklin experimented with the effects of evaporation on temperature. With  the help from chemist John Hadley, both men were able to find a way to drop thermometers temperature below freezing. Franklin and Hadley’s work was soon picked up by the American  inventor, Oliver Evans.Using principles drew up by Franklin; Evans drew the design for a  refrigerator in 1805. Jacob Perkins modified Evan’s design and built the first practical  refrigerating machine in 1834. Soon after, John Gorrie used Evan’s design to build a refrigerator  to make ice to cool the air for his yellow fever patients in 1844.Over 30 years later German  engineer Carl Von Linde di scovered the process of liquefying gas which is part of basic  refrigeration technology. From the 1800s until the 1920s, refrigerators used  toxic gases as  refrigerants. With research developed, corporations discovered a less dangerous refrigerant  called Freon. Freon soon became the standard for almost all home kitchens.  Carl Von Linde was born in 1842 and was the son of a Lutheran minister.He studied  science and engineering at the Federal Polytechnic in Zurich, Switzerland. His research led to the  development of the first compressed-ammonia refrigerator. In 1917, Linde formed the Union  Carbide and Carbon Corporation.On January 1, 1913, the first electric refrigerator in the United States was invented by  Fred W. Wolf. The refrigerator was an air-cooled refrigeration unit mounted on top of an ice box  and was called the Domelre. Exactly two years after the Domelre was created, the first self-container refrigerator was built by the Guardian Refrigerator Comp any.The company struggled  and produced less than 40 appliances in two years. The company was purchased by General  Motors and the business was renamed Frigidaire. In 1918, the first Frigidaire refrigerator was  produced. There were more than 200 different refrigerators on the market by 1920. Ice cream  cabinets were added to models in 1923, soda fountain equipment in 1924, and water and milk  coolers in 1927.One million refrigerators were produced by 1929. In 1947, GE was the first  company to introduce the two-door refrigerator-freezer combination. By 2005, 99.5 percent of  homes had refrigerators.  The refrigerator has changed the world in many ways. We are now able to preserve our  Foods such as fruits and vegetables for longer periods of time and beverages are now able to be  kept cool. Without refrigeration, medicines and vaccinations would not have been able to be  developed. Refrigeration is also used for air conditioning in homes, public places and lar ge  warehouses.Even those beautiful Valentine’s Day roses would not be able to be delivered  without refrigeration. Just imagine school without air conditioning, everyone would smell  horrible from sweating all day. Everyone’s favorite ice creams would not have been created  without the freezer. Long car rides would be dreadful without an air conditioner.Refrigerators use refrigerants to carry heat away from the inside of the fridge. This is  done by injecting the refrigerants into a tube inside the refrigerator in liquid form and it slowly  begins to vaporize. Taking heat away makes the temperature cooler. When the liquid is done  vaporizing, it travels to a coil on the outside of the fridge where it releases heat and becomes a  liquid again. The process starts over again.After researching the history of the refrigerator, I have learned how much it has impacted  the world and how much people take it for granted. I would have never been able to enjoy my  favorite ice creams or drinks if it was not for the refrigerator. I would not be able to preserve my  favorite foods or keep my fruits and veggies fresh.My favorite Eleven slushies would not even  exist. Some people do not take the time to realize the importance of the refrigerator and how  much of a difference it has made in America.